What To Do When Work-Life Sucks

"The purpose of our lives is to be happy." -- Dalai Lama

I have a number of friends that have been in the workforce for many years. They are pushing the top of their pay scale and have mastered what they do. When I got to that place in my banking career, the bank sold to a larger one then consolidated duplicated functions. In the process, I was offered and accepted a short severence package, and took the courageous step of starting my own business.

Clients and friends in similar positions are experiencing demands that they do more with less, learn new technologies and hit higher targets for organizations that seem to care less and less about them. Some have recently lost their job and are rethinking their careers. Most I hear from are engaging their challenges from a sense of powerlessness.

As painful these changes are, it is an awesome time to re-evaluate your purpose in life and to Take Your Power -- http://joannashaw.net/?p=968 -- to consciously choose what you will create next in your work-life.

Taking your Power is a creative and effective alternative to complaining about the way things are, fearing the worst and wishing things were different. It is more than linking in and building a personal brand. That can be important, and yet, if building a LinkedIn page is motivated by feeling powerless and preparing for the worst, your fear-energy will affect your results. Taking your Power is not about finding freedom and teamwork someplace else. It is about cultivating it where you are, right now, so you take your next steps from a position of personal power.

With a shift in perception, work-life can go from being one of fear, struggle and frustration to being a fulfilling adventure of gathering wisdom and experience, developing an entrepreneurial spirit and using work-life issues to cultivate heart, meaning, integrity and excellence—where you are right now. When the latter focus motivates your choices and actions, and becomes “Brand You,” you optimize your skills and bring your best, wherever the roller-coaster ride of change takes you.

Happiness is an outgrowth of fulfilling your Purpose and is a choice you can make in each moment, regardless of work-life circumstances.

Your purpose is also to extend love, to receive love and to forgive.

Work-life is your practice ground.

What about making money, feeding the children and climbing career ladders to higher levels of achievement and success?

Again, these are playing fields for learning to extend love, receive love, forgive and be happy. Quality of life -- as you receive and give money, provide for others and achieve greater levels of responsibility -- is the measure of fulfilling your purpose.

I do not recommend denying difficult times and the feelings they bring up. Discovering your purpose is about feeling it all without judgement, for beneath feelings of anger and frustration are love and happiness. Acknowledge what you feel, forgive yourself and allow the pain to resolve. I find this step easiest when I pray for assistance from a Power greater than myself.

When worry is a motivator, you will project that as you interview or take steps to start a business.

1. When you are worring or feeling powerless, take a time out.
2. Feel your feelings.
3. Write what you are thinking with intention to get them out of your head.
4. Create a prayerful space.
5. Breathe deeply.
4. Allow next steps to arise from a rested and peaceful place. You will be much more effective when you do.

You create your experience by the choices you make as you engage whatever is in front of your right now. Cultivate a peaceful place from which you will build what is next.

The outcome is that, in the process of creating what is next in your work-life, you develop compassion and peace, and fulfill your greater Purpose.

Your happy heart is your feedback as well.